When used as recommended, this is a great study guide.

When used as recommended, this is a great study guide.

The CCDS Exam Study Guide, Third Edition

Published to Amazon on December 18, 2015

Author HCPro a division of BLR and Fran Jurcak RN MSN CCDS

I came upon this by necessity and not want, which kind of put it at a disadvantage from the beginning add to that the nature of the book and it was an uphill battle from day one.  Due to changes at work, I was required to get my CCDS certification by the end of the year.  I am happy to report, that with the help of this study guide, I have added CCDS to the credentials at the end of my name.

This book is full of information and I found it very difficult to get through large sections in one sitting.  I would recommend reading the last chapter first as it goes over how they recommend using the book.  The author recommends reading a section and then researching the subject for further information.  I agree that this is probably a good way to go about studying for the test.  The guide was a good basis, but it is not exhaustive, and things are always changing in the coding and CDI world.  I was lucky enough to deal with a lot of the information in the book daily, so I was able to fake it when I went to take the test. 

I also put my notes from the book and any additional information I had obtained through research in the books you get to take to the exam.  I kind of just stuck them in there anywhere, so it was a little bit of a slow process when I sat for the exam.  I would recommend trying to put them in there is sections, so you will know where to look for the information if you need it.

The practice test was another good tool to use for studying.  I took it the first time before I ever looked at the book as a baseline of where I was at and the areas that I really needed to focus my efforts on.  The questions did not change with each time you take the test, but it still gets you used to the online testing format and it helps you to zero in on where you still need knowledge.  I took the practice test 3 times in all and each time my score improved.

Just remember, no matter what score you end up with, passing is passing.  Who cares if you only got the exact number of questions right or you got all of them right, no one ever needs to know your score if you do not want them to.  Click on the book above to start studying for your CCDS exam today!

Official amazon review:

When used as recommended, this is a great study guide.

I think this study guide was a good basis to start with and the online practice test was very helpful. I would recommend following the directions in the back of the book, including allowing yourself a few weeks to study and researching the content in more detail. The study guide helped me to pass the exam on my first attempt, so it did what it was supposed to do.

Happy Studying

Sydney